Crime Raid in Bangkok Shopping Mall Uncovers Counterfeit Luxury Goods – Widespread Bribery Exposed

[Georgealbert]

 

Picture courtesy of Khaosod.

 

A large-scale operation by authorities has uncovered a major counterfeit goods ring operating openly in a prominent Bangkok shopping mall. The raid, led by a government special task force, revealed the sale of fake luxury handbags and watches, alongside widespread corruption involving multiple government agencies.

 

Mr. Jirayu Huangsub, spokesman for the Office of the Prime Minister, revealed that the government under Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra is intensifying efforts to tackle all forms of intellectual property violations in line with World Trade Organisation (WTO) obligations.

 

The crackdown followed over 2,000 complaints received via the Prime Minister’s complaint centre (hotline 1111), many of which involved allegations of bribery to avoid prosecution. Bribes reportedly allowed illegal businesses to continue operating freely, including websites offering pornography, online gambling and unauthorised electronic cigarette sales. Some businesses allegedly paid monthly bribes of 50,000–100,000 baht per shop, contributing to an illicit flow of at least 200 million baht per year per area.

 

A joint task force consisting of the Ministry of Commerce, the Royal Thai Police, the Prime Minister’s Office, and the Economic Crime Suppression Division (ECD), supported by over 150 officers, carried out the raid on the mall, targeting four floors known for openly selling counterfeit brand-name products.

 

Items seized included fake luxury handbags, watches and travel gear. Officials discovered that several shop owners were foreigners acting as frontmen, especially English-speaking staff, used to attract international customers. Authorities believe these individuals entered the country posing as tourists but were actually working illegally. It was also confirmed that many of these operations were paying bribes to named officials, referred to in reports as Ms A, Mr T and Inspector N.

 

Mr. Jirayu stressed that the government is determined to crack down on such corruption. The operation aims to move Thailand off the United States Trade Representative’s (USTR) Watch List, under Special 301provisions, where it currently remains due to ongoing concerns over intellectual property rights enforcement.

 

He noted that while the USTR still lists Thailand as a country of concern, it has acknowledged the government’s progress. Recent reforms include amendments to copyright and patent laws, as well as improvements in the regulation of Collective Management Organisations (CMOs) to ensure transparency in music royalties collection.

 

Efforts are also being made to dismantle transnational criminal networks exploiting the Thai legal and economic systems, using counterfeit trade as a cover for wider criminal activity, including human trafficking and illegal labour.

 

Authorities warned that government officials found complicit in accepting bribes will be held accountable. Citizens are encouraged to report any sightings of counterfeit goods or corrupt officials via the Prime Minister’s Office hotline (1111).

 

 

  Adapted by Asean Now from Khaosod 2025-05-25.

 

 

 

 

[metisdead]

A troll post has been removed.

[Jim Blue]

Is this a first ?

[JoePai]

555 what a surprise    🤣

[proton]

 

Was this at MBK?

 

[NanLaew]

As long as the fear of being charged with defamation exists, and simple things such as naming the mall where this raid took place is avoided, the corruption and theft of intellectual property that the authorities claim to be fighting will spread, like the social cancer it is.

[thesetat]

28 minutes ago, NanLaew said:

As long as the fear of being charged with defamation exists, and simple things such as naming the mall where this raid took place is avoided, the corruption and theft of intellectual property that the authorities claim to be fighting will spread, like the social cancer it is.

 

4 hours ago, Georgealbert said:

The crackdown followed over 2,000 complaints received via the Prime Minister’s complaint centre (hotline 1111), many of which involved allegations of bribery to avoid prosecution. Bribes reportedly allowed illegal businesses to continue operating freely, including websites offering pornography, online gambling and unauthorised electronic cigarette sales. Some businesses allegedly paid monthly bribes of 50,000–100,000 baht per shop, contributing to an illicit flow of at least 200 million baht per year per area.

Yeah... better to allow this to get so bad than to disrupt the malls business. What is a couple thousand disgruntled tourists compared to the daily revenue of the mall or lack of revenue due to their allowing these businesses to operate freely. 

[impulse]

4 hours ago, Georgealbert said:

Mr. Jirayu stressed that the government is determined to crack down on such corruption. The operation aims to move Thailand off the United States Trade Representative’s (USTR) Watch List, under Special 301provisions, where it currently remains due to ongoing concerns over intellectual property rights enforcement.

 

I wonder if this has anything to do with Trump's tariff threats?  Not really wondering.  I'm pretty sure it does.

 

 

[Emdog]

3 hours ago, NanLaew said:

As long as the fear of being charged with defamation exists, and simple things such as naming the mall where this raid took place is avoided, the corruption and theft of intellectual property that the authorities claim to be fighting will spread, like the social cancer it is.

just thinking about this.... thought crossed my mind that if the mall and store were named, it would increase business....

[Mavideol]

7 hours ago, Georgealbert said:

alongside widespread corruption involving multiple government agencies.

is anybody surprised??? I am not

[billd766]

It seems to me that the buyers cannot tell the difference between a genuine article and a fake, and they are buying for the name and the face only.

[StayinThailand2much]

Counterfeit luxury goods and bribery in Thailand?? Who would've thought... What is the world coming to? 😆 

[StayinThailand2much]

8 minutes ago, billd766 said:

It seems to me that the buyers cannot tell the difference between a genuine article and a fake, and they are buying for the name and the face only.

 

Someone once gave me a fake Harrods bag. Took it to China and used it for shopping at Walmart. Left it for 30 seconds sitting on a trolley while browsing the shelves... Gone! 😆 

[xylophone]

25 minutes ago, Mavideol said:

is anybody surprised??? I am not

Me neither because I have first-hand experience of this whole corrupt business.

 

There was a large house on a double section, opposite where I lived in a secluded Soi in Patong which was owned by a Thai Chinese guy and he had a few guys working for him who would import and store cheap Chinese made knockoffs in his outbuilding, which would then be distributed to the small shops which sold these fakes

 

He imported them and was the major provider of such goods in Patong and I wondered how we got away with it until I saw him sitting on his porch/veranda with a couple of high-ranking police officials, sharing a drink with them.

 

The visit lasted about an hour and nothing changed, especially as a short while later a truck pulled up and started offloading these fake goods into the outbuilding. 

 

Here, it's not what you know, it's who you know and how big the brown envelope is.

[bendejo]

8 hours ago, Georgealbert said:

fake luxury

 

Gotta love that one.

 

[Terek]

4 hours ago, impulse said:

 

I wonder if this has anything to do with Trump's tariff threats?  Not really wondering.  I'm pretty sure it does.

 

 

 

nah its all Putin's fault, sure thing